Roger Becker says the Elise represents a return to roots for Lotus, and he should know. Now a senior engineering consultant for the company he joined in 1966, Becker is one of the few left at Lotus who was on hand when founder Colin Chapman still stalked the halls at Hethel, preaching the gospel of low weight and high agility.

Five minutes behind the wheel is enough to make it clear that Becker's back-to-basics premise is valid. Even though it's heavier than the Euro version, the federal Elise still weighs less than 2000 pounds, and its ultra-rigid aluminum tub weighs just 150 pounds. It's a tight piece of engineering, and with Toyota's 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve four and six-speed gearbox--the same powertrain used in the Celica GT-S--it adds up to a decent power-to-weight ratio, although third in this group.

In the GT-S, this engine is rated for 180 horsepower. However, Lotus developed its own engine-control software and claims 190 at 7800 rpm. As with the Toyota version, the engine doesn't really come to life until about 6200 rpm, when the aggressive set of camshaft lobes comes online. Lotus chose gearbox ratios to make it relatively easy to keep the engine in the sweet part of its operating range.

There have been durability concerns with this engine, particularly in sustained high-rpm operation. Although some suggest the problem is insufficient oil pressure, the Lotus engineers believe oil temperature is the culprit and added an engine-oil cooler. According to Lotus, there have been no problems with the engine in the Elise.

With a modest curb weight, 190 horsepower, and short gearing (a 4.53:1 final drive), the Elise can scoot: 4.4 seconds to 60 mph, 12.0 seconds to 100, 13.2 seconds at 104 in the quarter-mile.

Aside from that mid-engine quirk, the Elise's abilities as a street-legal racer are hard to fault. But its passenger-car virtues leave a lot to be desired. For example, when the chassis is sending dynamic info to the driver, it omits nothing--no pavement irregularity is too small to overlook, and on bad stretches occupants take a beating. The punishment is also auditory. Interior noise levels--an infernal chorus of engine sounds, wind, and all sorts of resonances from the aluminum tub--are close to overpowering.

The driver's seat is supportive and comfortable, but the passenger seat is about two-thirds its size and lacks fore-and-aft adjustability. With the top in place, getting in over the wide door sills is tricky, getting out an exercise for those not overly concerned with their dignity.

We think the styling is pretty slick, if you can forgive this color--Kiino said it made the car look like "a fishing lure." And we were surprised at the capacity of the cargo well, which is big enough to stow the top and personal essentials for a weekend.

Weekends--that's what the Elise is all about. As a daily driver, fuhgedaboudit. But for track days and Sunday-morning missions on your favorite stretch of switchbacks, the Elise has the right stuff. It's a pure sports car for sports-car purists. And that's what makes it our champ.